Petite Kabylie or Petite Kabylia ( Berber: Tamurt n Iqbayliyen,

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

: al-Qabā'il as-Saghra, القبائل الصغرى,

Maghrebi Arabic Maghrebi Arabic (, Western Arabic; as opposed to Eastern or Mashriqi Arabic) is a vernacular Arabic dialect continuum spoken in the Maghreb region, in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Western Sahara, and Mauritania. It includes Moroccan, Alger ...

: Qbayel es-Sghira) is a

natural region A natural region (landscape unit) is a basic geographic unit. Usually, it is a region which is distinguished by its common natural features of geography, geology, and climate. From the ecology, ecological point of view, the naturally occurring fl ...

in the mountainous area of northern

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

. The Petite Kabylie is part of the greater

Kabylie Kabylia ('' Kabyle: Tamurt n Leqbayel'' or ''Iqbayliyen'', meaning "Land of Kabyles", '','' meaning "Land of the Tribes") is a cultural, natural and historical region in northern Algeria and the homeland of the Kabyle people. It is part of the ...

region.

Geography

The Petite Kabylie is located in the

mountainous A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

area of the

Bibans The Bibans or Biban Range ( ar, البيبان, Kabylian: ''Tiggoura'', french: Chaîne des Bibans or ''Les Bibans'') are a chain of mountains in northern Algeria, bordering the south of Kabylie. Geography The highest summits are 1862 m high Man ...

and the

Babor Range The Babor Range ( ar, جبل البابور; kab, Idurar n Babuṛ) is a mountain range of the Tell Atlas in Algeria. The highest point of the range is 2,004 m high Mount Babor. The Babor Range, together with the neighboring Bibans, is part of th ...

, subranges of the

Tell Atlas The Tell Atlas ( ar, الاطلس التلي, Latn, ar, al-ʾaṭlas al-tlī) is a mountain chain over in length, belonging to the Atlas mountain ranges in North Africa, stretching mainly across northern Algeria, with ends in both north-easter ...

range bordering the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

. The Petite Kabylie is separated from the Grande Kabylie by the Soummam Valley. The Petite Kabylie spreads over several administrative divisions of Algeria:

Béjaïa Province The Béjaïa Province ( Kabyle: ''Tawilayt n Bgayet''; ar, ولاية بجاية, Latn, ar, Wilāyat Bijāyah; french: wilaya de Béjaïa or ) is a province of Algeria in the Kabylie region. The province's capital city is Béjaïa, the terminus ...

, part of Setif Province (Ath Yaala, Ath Ourtilan, Draa Kebila, Bouandas, Babor), part of

Bordj Bou Arréridj Province Bordj Bou Arréridj ( ar, ولاية برج بوعريريج) is a province (''wilaya'') in northern Algeria around 200 km from the capital Algiers. It is considered as a crossroads between the east and west, the north and south. It is nota ...

(Ath Laalam, El Main, El Mehir, Ath Djafar, Ath Khelifa, Ath Sidi Brahim, Mensourah, Rabiâa, Tizi El Khemis, Tizi Ikachouchan, Tassamert,) and the part of Bouira Province bordering the provinces of Béjaïa and Bordj Bou Arreridj. An ampler definition could include the

Arabophone Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

regions that by tradition are culturally Berber of

Jijel Province Jijel ( ar, ولاية جيجل) is a province (''wilaya'') in Algeria, on the eastern Mediterranean coast. The capital is Jijel (Phoenician name : ''Igilgili''). Taza National Park is located in this province. History The province was created ...

, and only the western parts of

Mila Province Mila ( ar, ولاية ميلة, link=no, ) is a province (''wilayah'') of Algeria, whose capital is Mila. Other localities include Teleghma, Grarem Gouga, Hamala and Rouached. History The province was created from parts of Constantine Provin ...

and the western parts of

Skikda Province Skikda ( ar, ولاية سكيكدة) is a province (''wilaya'') of Algeria, on its eastern Mediterranean coastline. History The province was created from Constantine (department) in 1974. Administrative divisions The province is divided into 1 ...

up to Collo and Tamalous.

Ecology

Some of Petite Kabylie is forested with Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests. This locale offers one of the few remaining disjunctive

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s for the

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

Barbary macaque The Barbary macaque (''Macaca sylvanus''), also known as Barbary ape, is a macaque species native to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco, along with a small introduced population in Gibraltar. It is the type species of the ...

, ''Macaca sylvanus'', a

primate Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians (monkeys and apes, the latter including huma ...

species which prehistorically held a much wider range.C. Michael Hogan, 2008

References

* * Protected Areas and World Heritage Programme (1988
''Algeria''

Line notes

Geography of Algeria Natural regions of Africa Geography of Béjaïa Province Geography of Sétif Province Geography of Bordj Bou Arréridj Province Geography of Bouïra Province {{Algeria-geo-stub

Geography

Ecology

See also

References

Line notes